Rep. Conyers Commemorates 106th Anniversary of Taiwan

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 -- Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 2, commemorating the 106th anniversary of Taiwan:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the people of Taiwan on the 106th anniversary of their republic, celebrated on October 10th. October 10th, known in Taiwan as "Double Ten Day", is revered by the Taiwanese people--just as Fourth of July is here in the United States. It commemorates the Wuchang Uprising, which triggered a revolution that led to the overthrow of China's imperial regime and the establishment of the Republic of China.

Since the Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, the people of Taiwan have developed a democracy of which they should be proud. They are our 10th largest trading partner, including more than $200 million in purchases from my home state of Michigan. They are an economically and socially growing nation, that has recently implemented a single-payer National Health Insurance (NHI) system. This system is similar to legislation that I have been championing in the U.S. House for more than a decade, and which Bernie Sanders recently introduced in the U.S. Senate. I believe that America has much to learn from this work, and I am eager to see them succeed in guaranteeing their citizens a universal right to healthcare--a practice America would do well to follow.

I also want to commend the people of Taiwan on their success this past year, in which they inaugurated their first female president--a first not only for the island, but also the first woman elected head of state in Asia in her own right, who was not related to a notable male politician.

I want to congratulate my friends across the ocean and wish them a very happy 106th Double Ten Day.